Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second most common cause of death from cancer in American men. Prostate cancer cells often initially rely on androgen (e.g., testosterone) for their growth and maintenance. Therefore, androgen withdrawal, by castration or through the use of an anti-androgenic drug, is a common treatment for prostate cancer. In many cases, however, prostate cancer patients develop androgen-independent prostate cancer so that androgen withdrawal treatment is no longer effective.
The complex process of prostate tumor growth and development involves multiple gene products. Therefore, it is important to identify genes involved in tumor development, growth, and androgen dependence, particularly those genes and gene products that can serve as targets for the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of prostate cancer.